The Constitution’s buffalo

It seems Pervez Musharraf is still bent on showing the world that he is a commando who is not afraid of anything or anybody. However, now that bailable warrants have been issued for his arrest, maybe now he will favour the Special Court hearing the high treason case against him with his presence. It has been a whole month since the Special Court wanted him to hear the indictment against him. On his way to court, he suffered chest pains, upon which he went to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, where he has been since.

The point is not that he is a retired Army officer, indeed a former COAS. The point is whether, as a former commando, he can be afraid of anybody, and whether appearing before the Special Court implies fear of it. If he still does not appear, then the warrant will have to be executed. That would mean that some overweight ASI, with a belly overflowing over his belt, will turn up at the gate of the AFIC at the head of a raiding party demanding to see Musharraf. This is not the same as sending the ASI to investigate the high treason case, because the raiding party will not interrogate General Musharraf, merely ask him to arrange for tea or water, or the expenses thereof. If he doesn’t, then there will be an interrogation… If there had been a proper investigation before, the prosecution would have his statement before the area magistrate, admitting to the crime, and revealing that he had an old enmity with the Constitution, which is why he suspended it. However, even now, an ASI of the old school would be able to clear up the mystery of whether or not he delivered the lalkara, containing life threats, against the Constitution, before suspending it. However, I suppose the prosecution does not view that lalkara as essential to its case. There is also the possibility, nay the likelihood, indeed the virtual certainty, that the ASI would prove by the confession that the reason for the old enmity is that the Constitution stole Pervez Musharraf’s buffalo. Or rather, since Pervez Musharraf is the accused, that he stole the Constitution’s buffalo. To add dramatic effect, and to convince the court, the Constitution’s buffalo would be recovered from the AFIC, and the additional charge against General Musharraf would be that he was using the buffalo, drinking its milk, there. And for the duration of the case, the ASI would have custody of the buffalo, and use its milk to drink, and to make yoghurt and clarified butter.

And this is all happening at a time when there is an unseasonal fog over the city, and the rest of the province. This means that the weather has been cold, even for this time of the year. And it also has meant that there hasn’t been enough winter rains. And that means a poor wheat crop. Meanwhile, as Musharraf struggles for his life, both because he has heart disease and because he faces a capital charge, the PPP is busy with the Sindh Festival. Will it be more real by being held at Mohenjodaro? I know PPP Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claims it would be, but I don’t think the residents of Mohenjodaro, which was part of the Indus Valley civilization, would recognize it. I very much doubt if they even spoke Sindhi, or any language which could be remotely recognized by a modern Sindhi. The Indus Valley language is thought to be a Dravidian one, the Dravidian group having a number of representatives in the Indian South, and Brahui in Balochistan. Sindhi, on the other hand, like Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and a host of other languages, is descended from Sanskrit via Prakrit, and thus is very much a member of the Indo-Aryan group. The Aryans probably destroyed the Indus Valley civilization, and thus the Sindh Festival is celebrating the Indus Valley Civilisation in a language descended from that of its destroyers. Now only a politician could dream that up, so Bilawal has probably proved his pedigree by doing exactly that. But perhaps he shouldn’t be faulted, because Mohenjodaro is supposed to symbolize Sindh. Another political decision, I suppose, because it ignores history, which says that a people speaking a Sindhi-precursor destroyed the civilization that produced Mohenjodaro.

Learning from history is something that should be done by the committee the government has set up to negotiate with the Taliban. The members of the committee should go into the reason for the failure of previous negotiations. And they should try and find out what the negotiations are about. An immoveable object should not be made to collide with an irresistible force.

And the PTI seems to be getting worried, what with Imran being included on the Taliban negotiating committee, that too without his permission, even though all the Taliban wanted was to ensure that only organic food was served. Maybe Musharraf and his legal team, at least Ahmad Reza Kasuri should be included. And that the negotiations take place in Paris, Texas, so that Musharraf can get his angiography done at the same time.